The mysterious clues of the “Liquid Matthew” case

From The Lewiston Daily Sun (Lewiston-Auburn, Maine)
Published December 19, 1983
The mystery behind the “Liquid Matthew Case,” a murder with a set of clues in various locations, is solved

The case began with the discovery of a man’s body on December 6. A note was found in a plastic bag taped humorously taped to a “No Dumping” sign, which read “Once you’re back on the track you’ll travel in night. So prepare your old self for a terrible fright. … Now the motive is clear and the victim is, too. You’ve got all the answers. Just follow the clues.”

Following the clue, a detective found a second clue on the back of a speed limit sign, reading “Yes, Matthew is dead, but his body not felt. Those brains were not Matt’s because his body did melt. For Billy threw Matt in some hot, boiling oil. To confuse the police for the mystery they did toil.”

A police sergeant suspected the notes were a strange coincidence and not related to the murdered man, a suspicion which was confirmed with several members of a church stepped forward and explained that, in October, they had set clues in plastic bags (so the papers wouldn’t be ruined) for members to find in a “whodunit” style riddle game. It had rained the night of the game and several clues remained in their original locations.

Police identified the murdered man as Francisco Patino Gutierrez who was killed after 11 pounds of cocaine he was smuggling was confiscated.